Roasted Beets with Chimichurri Sauce

I know this comes a bit late, but lets talk about Mother’s Day. Was it nice? Did you spend quality time with your children? What about your mother?

My Mother’s Day was especially special. It was the first year that my husband gave our daughter money and turned her loose in a store to choose a gift without any guidance from him (she chose thoughtfully: two books and a set of unique measuring cups) and we went out for dinner.

Even though many folks choose to go out for dinner or brunch on Mother’s Day, we usually order in just for that reason. We aren’t crowd people. We like to take it quiet and easy (most of the time). Ordering in-either sushi or good Italian from the pasta kitchen up the street-just makes sense to us on holidays where restaurants are bustling.

Until this year.

Because we are busy (as are most families) we often don’t get to have a sit-down dinner. Meetings run late. School activities interfere. The few times a week we do get to break bread together are often rushed. That is the crux of why I enjoy eating out as a family: I’m not rushing around to get everything on the table and they are…well, they are a captive audience. No excusing themselves from the table as soon as they are finished to get back to whatever they need or want to do.

I made a reservation at one of our new favorite places to eat in north Baltimore, the Shoo-Fly Diner. Shoo-Fly is the retro diner creation of James Beard nominee Spike Gjede, owner of the much-acclaimed (and arguably best restaurant in Baltimore) Woodberry Kitchen, as well as Artifact Coffee. Of course, I waited until about two weeks before Mother’s Day to make the reservation, so I had to settle for a 4 pm time slot. It worked to our advantage, before the dinner rush and leaving enough time in the early evening to enjoy the sunset back home on the patio.

Everything on the menu looked amazing and we had a hard time deciding. We finally settled on several appetizers and the beet side-dish, which was highly recommended by the waitstaff.

Beets.

People have very extreme opinions about them. I often see them in the trade box at the CSA pick-up and I am the only one in my family who likes them. So I ordered them. And they were amazing. Like…stole-the-show amazing. The “secret”, the waitress said, was the chimichurri sauce. I took the rest home and ate them for breakfast the next day out of the carton with a fork standing at the refrigerator.

I mean, isn’t that the highest compliment you can pay to food?

Chimicurri sauce, which is sometimes made with parsley, sometimes cilantro, or both, is quiet versatile. It can be eaten with all kinds of meat, seafood, or vegetables. You can even top eggs with it. It can be used right away, but turns into a real beauty when made a day ahead allowing the flavors to build.